Our Christmas
by SomeoftheFame
Summary: It's been years since Tsunade lost Dan, and although it doesn't cross her mind everyday, some days are harder than others when her yearning can't help but take control.


**Disclaimer:** All credit for the creation of the Naruto franchise goes to Masashi Kishimoto.  
>I do not own any of the characters.<p>

**Notes: **Reviews would be greatly appreciated and helpful.

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><p><strong>Our Christmas<strong>

_"Just think of me and I will be there." -Richard Reeves_

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><p>Hazel eyes were exposed to the world after cream coloured eyelids fluttered open. The dull cold nipped at her toes and fingers as she stretched out, exposing the aforementioned appendages from under her layers of blankets. She adjusted her head back on her pillow, fresh eyes meeting the sunlight streaming in from the solitary window. She parted her lips slowly, too weak to speak at first and simply ran the statement through her mind.<p>

Tsunade brushed her toes against the floor, its chilling feel not coming as a surprise. She placed her delicate feet against the floor, slowly embracing the cold as she wiggled her toes around, dispersing the numbing feeling from her slumber.

Tsunade sat herself up, one arm crossed over her body keeping her silk robe closed and used the other to lift herself up. She hunched over at the edge of her bed, staring down at the floor and her feet. Her gaze drifted over several objects on the floor as she began to lift her head.

Hazel eyes met a tall evergreen gift her assistant had placed in her room recently and the assorted boxes placed under it.

She pushed off from the bed, standing up slowly as she wavered before she took her first step of the day. She slid her feet slowly across the floor as she neared closer to the window, stepping into the bright beam of light that was presenting into the room.

Standing in front of the window Tsunade uncoiled her fingers and placed the tips against the window gently, the heat from her body clearing away the built up condensation. Gingerly she ran her fingers across the window, after a few swipes she could make out the scene of Konoha on Christmas day. Pure white snow blanketed the entire village; the streets were only home to the resting snow and the flakes that were descending slowly from above.

It seemed as if the bright winter sun shone down brighter on the village today. The brilliant white snow shining even greater today, the ethereal scene creating thin lines of tears traveling down Tsunade's smooth face slowly.

Tsunade shuddered when she attempted to breathe and brought her hand quickly to cover her mouth, her face shifting into a distraught expression.

"I miss you."

She turned from the window slowly, her lingering fingers leaving small lines behind before they departed. Moving to the side of the room where the festive tree was standing.

She crossed her arm over her waist this time as she crouched down, taking one of the colourfully wrapped presents into her grasp.

Another line of tears formed themselves under her eyes as she dug her fingers into the box, her fingers meeting what she guessed was some form of clothing within. She threw her arm out to the side, releasing the present at the extent of her swing.

She choked back more tears before standing up and bringing her hand against the girth of the tree, applying a generous amount of force behind it as the tree wobbled slightly.

She continued to assault the tree in attempts to send it toppling over before no longer having the will to deal with it. Tsunade brought her hands to her face, the silky violet robe slipping off her shoulders, the sleeves covering most of her hands when she began to wipe her eyes,

She hobbled away from the sapling and to a dresser placed a few steps off to her right, upon reaching it she dropped to her knees. Tsunade's hands holding onto the top of it as she pressed up against it, tears rushing down her face as she sobbed silently.

She dropped her hands from above and brought them to her face again, wiping away tears from around her eyes only for them to be replaced by more.

Tsunade lowered one of her hands to her chest, patting around the skin gently for a moment, the gentle tap turning into a frantic clawing. She tipped her down to stare down at her chest, after not finding it there she instantly turned her head around from side to side. She began to scan the room for her missing item hysterically.

Tsunade rose to her knees, turning to face the drawers of the dresser, tugging at one of the knobs, it stuck fast from the sudden tug. She opened her mouth only letting out a shriek of panic as she ripped the drawer from its home and sending it tumbling across the floor.

She turned back scrambling around the floor to latch her hand onto the discarded drawer, pulling it close to her as she dug her hands inside, rummaging around, tossing various items out onto the floor around her as those words echoed in her mind.

Abandoning hope she turned back to the dresser, her knees thumping on the floor as she moved. Ripping out several others drawers until the dresser was hollowed out.

She spread herself out across the floor, her hands diving into the drawers, digging through various clothing items and papers, tossing things to the side until she found it.

Tsunade's hand clutched around a small object lost under papers stuffed into the drawer, pulling back from it she scooted back against the wall. Opening her hands slowly as her hazel eyes met her most treasured item. A thin black string traveled through a blue-green crystal, with two bell-like shapes on either side of it. She closed her fingers over it and pressed her lips against her glossy red nails.

"Baby…"

Tsunade lifted her head until it met the wall and closed her eyes before she caught sight of the ceiling, her mind filling with memories of the holidays she spent with him.

-F-

"What do you want for Christmas Tsunade?"

"Oh not much.." Tsunade swayed from side to side, her hands connected behind her back as she inched closer to Dan. "Just this."

Tsunade stood on her toes and pulled one of her arms out and above their heads, dangling a single piece of mistletoe between them.

Dark green eyes shifted their focus from the face of their lover to the hanging flower. "You sure you don't want it to snow?" He grinned playfully before he brushed his hands along Tsunade's waist, pulling her in close.

Shaking her head as her smile began to grow and tilted her head upwards, her eyelids fluttering shut while she waited patiently. Dan's smile met hers passionately, their lips molding together, Tsunade's only wish coming true.

-F-

Tears laced over her fingers while she sobbed heavily in her heap against the wall. She took the necklace in one hand and wrapped her arms around herself, giving herself as much comfort as she could. Sliding her legs up to her body, moving them through the mess of items she had created in her room.

"I don't know what to do…" Tsunade shook her head slowly asking herself a question she found herself repeating constantly in times such as this.

She continued to shake her head, wishing she could wake herself from this nightmare, when the changing lights of the tree caught her attention. She turned her head to face the tree, the yellow, violet, green, and blue lights on the tree traveling along through the light bulbs together in perfect holiday harmony.

The laughter that filled this day so many years ago when she spent it with Dan and Nawaki, the laughter that reminded her of twinkling bells swaying and clashing against each other in the frigid winter night. The sound of Dan's amateur caroling late in the night after a few bottles of Tsunade's special holiday sake, the jingling of bells attached to their hats.

"Bring him back to me please…" She whispered to herself, lost in her own memories and the mesmerizing lights from the tree. "I just want to see him one more time, standing outside my door." Her memory provided her with flashbacks of swinging open her door to see Dan's smiling face standing out in the cold waiting for her.

"Merry Christmas Dan." Tsunade opened her hand again, bringing it up to her lips, pressing a delicate kiss to the warm crystal.

-F


End file.
